


I Think It's Gonna Be A Long, Long Time

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Avengers Meet the Guardians, Avengers/GOTG Crossover, Earth-199999, F/M, Farmer Clint, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Cancer, More relationships may develop as this goes on, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Team as Family, mentions of experimentation, this is gonna be a long one folks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-25 04:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2609075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There have been rumors traveling throughout the galaxy, little more than whispers really, of a backwater planet that's survived a Chitauri invasion. The Guardians dig deeper, hoping that this news will lead them to uncovering a bit more of Thanos' plan, and when Peter Quill finds out that this backwater planet is his planet, he decides that it's time to go home for the first time in 26 years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rocket Man

**Author's Note:**

> The title for this story is taken from Elton John's "Rocket Man". I do not own that song, or any characters mentioned within this story. These characters belong to Marvel. This work was written for fun, not for profit.

"Wait, you're tellin' me that some little backwater survived a  _Chitauri_ attack?" Rocket let out a harsh laugh and swigged back some more of whatever the hell the being across from him had bought him. 

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. This planet fought off the Chitauri with  _six beings_ from what I've heard." they smirked, beetle-like eyes gleaming with excitement. "This planet is like nothing anyone has ever seen. They're strong. I would hate to be the next person to attack it." 

"What planet are we talking about here? You seem to know more about this Chitauri attack than anyone else we've talked to recently." Peter asked, plopping down next to Rocket with a drink in hand. "And trust me, we're real interested in this." 

Xe sat back and examined Peter for a long moment, a smirk playing at xyr purple lips. "Rumor has it that it was Terra, but I think that whoever started that rumor is crazier than the rumors themselves. There is no way Terra could have survived a Chitauri invasion. That planet is  _beyond_ backwater. It's archaic." xe shrugged, not really picking up on the way Peter's jaw dropped or Rocket twitched a bit in his seat. 

"Thanks for the info. Have a drink on us." Peter told xem, dropping a few units on the table before slugging his drink back and jerking his head towards the door. "Let's get a move on Rocket. We've got some calls to make." 

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Absolutely not." Nova Prime said, slamming her hands down on the edge of the control panel in front of her. Peter let out an exasperated noise and began pacing back and forth, hands tugging at his curly, strawberry-blonde hair. 

"You don't understand. Xe said _Earth_ was the planet attacked by the Chitauri. If that's the case, I can't just stand by and wait for Earth to send out a message for help! My people could be  _dying_ and you expect me to just wait around?!" he cried, throwing his hands up as he turned around on his heel to face Nova Prime again. Her lips were drawn into a thin line, and she was barely able to bite back a sigh. 

"Quill, Terra isn't ready for contact with the rest of the galaxy yet. You of all people should know this." she started. 

"Well Terra already  _had_ contact with the rest of the galaxy. The Chitauri to be exact. The Chitauri, who have extremely advanced weaponry and some pretty damn nasty viruses as well. And, from what I've heard since then, the Asgardians have had contact with Earth too." Peter argued, his face flushing and his eyes narrowing dangerously. 

"I cannot give you permission to just...saunter onto an unprepared planet and investigate rumors you picked up bar hopping through the seediest establishments in the galaxy!" Nova Prime shouted, growing tired of Peter's theatrics. Peter stared at her for a long time, and his face hardened. The effect was chilling; gone was the jovial Peter Quill that even she had seen. In his place was a battle hardened man, a man who was unwilling to let things simply slide. In his place was Star-Lord, one of the saviors of the galaxy. 

"Well you can't stop me from going home, and if I bring some friends with me, it's on my head. I don't need permission from Nova Corps to do the right thing, so you can take that message and shove it right up into your Worldmind." he snarled, storming out of the room with coattails flying. 

Nova Prime found herself smiling, and she simply made a note in the system that the Guardians of the Galaxy would be unavailable for quite some time. 

-x-x-x-x-x-

Peter sucked in a shaky breath and stared at the team. His team. His friends. His  _family_. He hadn't gone back to Earth in 26 years, and now his home planet was being threatened,  _had_ been threatened, and he needed to know why. Surely they would understand. They had all lost something. Gamora and Drax definitely wouldn't begrudge Peter wanting to save his home planet, or so he hoped. 

"Guys...I...we need to go to Terra." he said, so quietly that Drax and Groot had a bit of trouble hearing him. Rocket grunted in acknowledgement, barely reacting where he was cleaning his Quad Blaster. 

"Terra? But why now?" Gamora asked, putting down the rag she had been using to polish her knives. "Does this have something to do with the rumors we have been hearing?" 

"Yeah. Someone at the last bar had a pretty good idea of what had happened, and xe told me that it was Terra that the Chitauri attacked." Peter began. 

"When you combine that with all of the other crap we've heard, it makes sense. I mean, Terra is a backwater, no offense Quill," Rocket said, waiting until Peter waved the insult off to continue, "and it would be really flarkin' surprising for them to survive a Chitauri attack...but we've all seen what a Terran can do." 

"The furry one is right. Quill is a most skilled fighter, and his endurance rivals that of Gamora and myself. When confronted by a situation that he cannot lose, or refuses to lose, he is most formidable. It would make sense for the rest of his species to be like that." Drax commented, still sharpening his own blades as he spoke. That drew a proud smile out of Peter, and he puffed his chest out a bit. 

"I mean, yeah. Terra wasn't exactly hospitable for humans when our ancestors first ventured out of their caves. We've had to adapt as long as we've existed." 

"Then it is decided. We will go to Terra and investigate the rumors. If the Chitauri have indeed attacked, we will need to find out why. If they haven't...you'll get a chance to reconnect with your home world. It is an opportunity that you would be a fool to not take advantage of." Gamora said, rising from her seat fluidly.  

"I am Groot!" Groot squeaked, flailing his limbs from where he was seated beneath UV lamps. 

"Hell, if Groot's in, I'm in." Rocket said, standing as well and wincing when his back cracked a bit. 

"I am also willing to partake in this journey." Drax stood. Peter looked at his friends, all standing (well, Groot was flailing and blossoming little flowers everywhere, but it was basically standing), and swallowed thickly. 

"To Terra?" he suggested.

"To Terra." the others agreed, and with that Peter was running off to the cockpit to set a course for Earth. 

-x-x-x-x-x-

**Six Weeks Later**

"Holy flarkin' hell... _that's_ Terra?" Rocket whispered. The team was clustered around Peter as he engaged the cloaking systems and steered the  _Milano_ towards the swirling blue, white, and green orb that he had once called home. Something caught in his throat, and nobody blamed him when his eyes welled up a bit. 

"Yeah. That's...that's Earth." he croaked, swinging the ship around so that it would orbit the planet once. The Guardians were silent as the ship trailed around the orb; huge expanses of gleaming blue ocean were only broken by massive hunks of land, some of them spectacularly lit as night fell over them, others covered in what had to be lush green forests and pastures, some areas orange with desert, and the top and bottom of the planet capped with white ice. 

"It's beautiful." Gamora smiled, squeezing Peter's shoulder tightly. 

"It truly is one of the most spectacular planets I have seen, at least from orbit. We shall see if your home world's beauty remains intact when we land." Drax boomed, settling into his seat. There were a few clicks as the team buckled themselves in, Rocket carefully tightening the belts around Groot's pot, and then Peter huffed out a laugh. 

"Prepare to enter the atmosphere..." he flipped a few switches and eased the controls forward. The ship began to shake violently as it tore through the atmosphere, heat creating a red outline of the ship despite its cloaking mechanisms. Rocket's eyes went wide, and Gamora's hands tightened around the arm rests of her chair. Groot squealed with joy, drawing a laugh from Drax, and Peter? 

Peter let out a joyous shout as the  _Milano_ punched through the stratosphere. They plummeted downward, the ship screeching and shuddering as it adjusted to the Earth's gravity and the temperatures surrounding it. 

"We're gonna die, aren't we?" Rocket asked Groot as they dropped even faster, approaching what looked like a sheet of white. "QUILL DON'T FLARKIN' KILL US!" 

Another hoot escaped Peter, and the  _Milano_ steadied as she descended into the clouds, water spattering the windows as Peter pulled back on the controls and allowed her to slow. 

"No dying today Rocket...welcome to Earth." Peter beamed, guiding the ship down and revealing a vast, glittering ocean. 

And then the console began screeching, alarm lights flashing and a warning popping up on one of the screens. 

**INCOMING PROJECTILE, EVASIVE ACTION NECESSARY**

And then all hell broke loose. 


	2. Your Boldness Stands Alone Among the Wreck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers have detected an object entering the atmosphere that is traveling far too quickly to be an asteroid or debris from a shuttle. 
> 
> Tony is not pleased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two, yaaaay! Title comes from Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons. Hope you enjoy, comments are awesome and help me make this story better!

"Hey Tony, you might wanna take a look at this." Bruce said, walking into the lab with his eyes glued to a tablet. Tony waved Bruce off, buried in the guts of a suit he was trying to work the kinks out of after a particularly brutal battle. 

"Gimme a sec Brucey Bear." he grunted around a screwdriver. 

"Tony, I'm telling you, you want to take a look at this.  _Now_." it wasn't the words, but rather the tone that made Tony look up. Bruce sounded  _scared_ , and a scared Bruce was never a good thing. He pushed his chair out from the worktable and wheeled himself over to Bruce, plucking the tablet out of his hand. 

"Oh mother  _fucker_." he hissed as he took in the readings on the screen. Something was plummeting through the atmosphere, but it was too fast and too controlled to be an asteroid or some weird space debris. Combining that with the really weird video streaming from a satellite he may or may not have hacked, and Tony felt his heart hammering in his chest. "Call Cap, tell him to get suited up. We've got visitors." 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Even though Tony couldn't  _see_ the ship, JARVIS was able to pick up the minute atmospheric disturbances it was causing, and from those Tony had not only the location of the ship, but an outline. It was big, bigger than anything the Chitauri had brought in (except for those behemoth worm things, but Tony tried not to think about those), almost as if it were a multi-passenger vehicle. 

"See anything Stark?" Steve's voice barked over the intercom. Tony huffed out a laugh and shook his head despite the others being unable to see it. 

"Nah. Whatever it is has some pretty good cloaking tech." he answered.

"I feel like there's a but in that statement somewhere." Clint offered.

" _But_ JARVIS is better, and based on the change in wind patterns, I'm able to tell where it is." Tony said, not bothering to mask his pride. He could practically hear Natasha roll her eyes. 

"Then shoot it down and lets get outta here!" Clint crowed. 

"You can't just  _shoot it down_ Clint. What if they're not hostile?" Bruce groaned. 

"I'm with Clint on this one actually. Whatever it is feels the need to hide from us, and so I'm thinking that a good old fashioned bomb is in order." Tony said. 

"With the exception of Thor, every alien we have encountered has wanted to kill us, destroy our planet, and enslave us all. The chances of that thing not being hostile are slim to none based on that. Shoot it down." Clint argued. Nobody corrected him, and so Tony smirked and took aim, unleashing a few mini missiles that would take down the Quinjet. 

They made contact, and the cloaking device flickered before failing. The blue and orange ship continued to fly, and when Tony unleashed another barrage of weaponry, it rolled, dodging the missiles. 

"Shit, that thing is fast!" Clint gasped. 

"Stark, take it down!" Steve ordered, the Quinjet roaring as it caught up to Tony. 

"On it Cap." Tony replied, pushing his suit faster. Just as he was about to fire again, his helmet beeped. 

"Sir, the ship is trying to make contact." JARVIS informed him, and the words INCOMING TRANSMISSION flashed in his vision. Tony groaned and let his arm drop, choosing to fly up the the side of the potentially hostile ship before he answered. 

"-ing ridiculous, I've never seen something like tha...Oh, fuck, they answered! Holy shit!" the voice was strangely...Midwestern. "Um. Hi. My name is Peter Quill, and we come in peace!" 

Tony's face screwed up in confusion. Peter Quill? That was a perfectly normal, human name. And the 'we come in peace' thing? "What the hell is this, E.T.?" Tony asked, trying to gain a little bit of speed on the ship so that he could see into the cockpit. 

"E.T.? No, sorry man, that was a bit cheesy-ow, Gamora, stop!-but I mean it. We're here to help!" the voice said, a dull thud interrupting him halfway through. Tony figured that whoever this Gamora person was had hit the speaker. 

"Help? Help with what?" Tony questioned. 

"Rumor has it that the Chitauri attacked Earth. If that's the case, we're trying to figure out why." the voice replied. Tony almost crashed headfirst into the ship in surprise, but gathered himself enough to speak again. 

"Cap, you hear that? More friendlies here to help." 

"I read you loud and clear Iron Man. Land them at the Tower; we'll meet you there. Cap over and out." 

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Quill, whatever that thing is, I  _need_ it." Rocket groaned as Peter flew after the robot that was guiding them to a safe landing spot. 

"Rocket, stop. You're not stealing anything, especially not from my planet, and definitely not after they've just been attacked by aliens!" Peter snapped, his posture a little more tense than it usually was. 

"What's got your panties in a bunch?" Rocket sneered.

"Why are Peter's undergarments bunched up? Is this some strange Terran fashion? Does it not cause genital discomfort?" Drax questioned. Peter barely resisted the urge to slam his head repeatedly against the controls and took a deep breath. 

"He's just asking why I'm stressed. Which I would think is  **perfectly fucking obvious!** " Peter's voice rose a few octaves with the last three words. 

"What, you get shot at by a tin man and you're freakin' out? What happened to the guy that had a dance off with a crazy blue dude with an affinity for facepaint and hammers?" 

"Rocket, fuck off okay?" Peter snapped, jerking the controls as their guide made a smooth yet sharp turn towards a barely visible coast. "I ain't been home in 26 years and the first thing that happens is my ship getting shot at by technology I didn't think existed on this planet!" 

"Alright, jeeze, I'm sorry." Rocket huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Groot crooned and grew a few fluffy looking white flowers, trying to ease the tension in the cockpit. Gamora was the only one to smile, and she plucked one of the offered flowers from Groot's little hands and tucked it into her hair. 

When they got closer to the coast, Peter perked up. 

"No flarkin' way." he breathed, easing up on the speed and pulling up on the steering controls, bringing the  _Milano_ up a bit. 

"What?" Rocket asked, sitting forward to try and see what had caught Peter's attention. 

"Does your planet worship large green women?" Drax questioned, the enormous statue sitting in the bay catching his eye. He could see people milling around its base, and it appeared to be a rather noble looking creation. 

"What? No. That's the Statue of Liberty. Guys, welcome to New York City, also known as one of the most important cities on Earth." Peter smiled as the skyline opened up in front of them and the glittering metropolis pulled gasps from all of the ship's occupants. 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"I don't like this." Clint growled, pacing back and forth on the roof of the Tower as he waited for Tony to land with the aliens. Natasha glanced down, popping the magazine of her gun back in with a smooth motion. 

"Neither do I, but if they're saying that they want answers, they might not be the bad guys this time around." she replied, her voice just as emotionless as her face. Clint flinched; she was only this stony when she was nervous, or when she was on a mission that demanded it. 

"None of us like this, but we can't just kill them if they're saying they're here to help." Steve added, adjusting his cowl. They had all decided to wait in full gear, except for Bruce, who was sitting near the door to the Tower and picking at the sleeve of his shirt. He'd Hulk out if the situation got bad, but until then he didn't want to risk destroying their home. 

"Where's Thor anyway? I'm surprised Foster hasn't picked up on this. Her equipment is almost as good as Tony's." Clint asked, checking his quiver again and pulling out an arrow, which he nocked loosely. 

"Thor is on his way, but even with Mjolnir, it'll take him at least an hour to get here from New Mexico." Steve said. Just then the telltale glint of the Iron Man suit caught his eye, and he turned to see Tony peeling around a building with the spaceship flying above, going a bit more slowly and definitely making an effort to avoid crashing into buildings. Tony landed with a clunk and a thud; the ship's landing was a bit more quiet, the landing gears hissing and whining as they accepted the weight of the ship. 

"This thing is awesome, just so you all know. I did a scan while I was flying by it; the fuel system is incredible." Tony said, his faceplate flipping up as he walked over to take his place by Steve. 

"That's great, but where are the aliens?" Clint huffed, getting a better grip on his bow. 

"Just give us a few minutes; we're going through decontamination. I don't want to accidentally expose you guys to something nasty." the same voice that Tony had heard through his headset was echoing from the ship's intercom system. 

"Oh joy, alien diseases. What I've always wanted." Clint muttered darkly, rubbing at his face. "Tasha, we're going back to Missouri once this is over." 

There was a clink, and the ship's loading platform lowered to the ground. The entire team raised their weapons, Tony's suit whirring as it charged up and Steve's shield gleaming as he raised it. 

The first figure out was relatively human looking; he was tall, taller than Steve, and he'd probably give Thor a run for his money too, and well built from what they could see beneath his snug red leather jacket. He had two holsters, one on either thigh, but they were empty. He wore a strange silver mask that covered his head all the way around, but was open at the top; his curly, coppery hair tumbled out over the edges, almost falling over the round, glowing red eyes of the mask. He held up his hands to show that they were empty, and Clint made a sound of surprise. 

"He looks...human." he muttered.

"So does Thor. Doesn't make him human." Natasha whispered back as the man pressed against something behind his ear and the mask retracted. The man looked a bit nervous, but it made sense to Clint; he'd be nervous too if he just landed on an alien planet and was faced by four people all wielding weapons and pointing them right in his face. 

"Right, um. I'm Peter. Peter Quill." he stammered, looking at each of them before glancing over his shoulder. Clint could see the shadows of three other people there, and one of them was carrying something rather large. 

"Pretty normal name for a spaceman." Tony snarked, drawing a quiet groan from Steve.

"I'm not really a spaceman. Well, I wasn't." the alien replied, making Clint's brows furrow. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, holding onto his arrow a bit more tightly. 

"I'm sure if you look in the missing person's database you'll find me. My name's Peter Jason Quill. I was born in Missouri, and in 1988 I was abducted by aliens." he explained calmly, almost as if it were a perfectly rational, normal explanation for an alien having a normal name. Tony let out a barking laugh and elbowed Steve. 

"Hear that Cap? Abducted by aliens!" 

"It's true you dick." the man snapped, his hand diving into the pocket of his coat. Natasha's aim suddenly sharpened, and Clint felt his heart skip a beat, but the man simply pulled out a-

"Is that a  _Walkman_?" Tony gasped, darting forward as quickly as his suit would allow him without taking flight. He reached for the device, but the alien jerked it out of his reach.

"Yes, it's a Walkman, and I really,  _really_ don't like people touching it. My mom gave it to me and it's all I've got left of her, so hands off dude." the man almost snarled, and with that the other figures descended from the ship.

"Oh holy fuck, yeah, no, I was wrong. They're definitely aliens, not him." Clint whined. The woman was slender and  _green_ , with little bits of metal poking out of her face. The man behind her was absolutely massive, all blue skin and weird tattoos that looked like they were carved into his skin. There was a raccoon carrying a pot next to him, and it looked like there was a little waving plant in the pot. 

"I think I'm going to need a drink before I hear this story." Tony sighed, clumping his way towards the door. 

"Make that two." Clint groaned, following after. 


	3. I'm the Space Invader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We are indebted to you, Lord of the Stars."
> 
> Or Peter has to prove that the Guardians really aren't the bad guys, and he gets some help along the way. Once that's out of the way, the two teams begin to bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title comes from Moonage Daydream, David Bowie. TW: mentions of cancer.

"So it's good to see that weirdness is a Terran thing and not just a Peter Quill thing." Rocket muttered out of the corner of his mouth as they followed the spandex and metal adorned group into the glass and metal monstrosity that was the Avengers Tower. Peter glared at Rocket for a moment and then returned his gaze to the group leading them inside. 

Walking through the doors sucked the breath from Peter's lungs. The penthouse was massive; gleaming chrome, polished wood, comfortable couches, a bar, and some seriously wicked TV screens occupied a lot of the space, as well as some pretty weird tech Peter had never seen before. 

"Holy hell, this place is awesome." Peter commented, drawing a smirk from the guy in the metal suit. 

"Thanks, I designed it. Part of it. Well, I paid for it. Pepper's in charge of interior decorating since apparently I'm tacky." the guy said, and yep, he was  _definitely_ a cocky bastard if Peter had ever met one. He was about to reply when the guy with a bow made an angry sound and slammed his glass down on the bar. 

"Cut the shit Stark, we're not here to make buddy buddy with these guys." he snapped, and Peter instinctively took a step back towards his team. He could see rage boiling beneath the surface of the man's stormy eyes, and he suddenly wished he hadn't made everyone leave their weapons on the ship. 

" _Hawkeye!"_ the tallest one snapped, and Peter felt his jaw drop just a bit more. He had been so captivated by the metal man's flashy suit and cocky demeanor that he hadn't noticed  _Captain fucking America_ standing in front of him. 

"Are you really Captain America?" he blurted before he could control himself. Gamora elbowed him not-so-gently in the ribs and he whined, rubbing the sore spot that would certainly bruise later. 

"Yes. It's a long story, and one that you're unfortunately not going to get to hear right now. Hawkeye is right, we're not here for casual conversation. We want to know who you are, what you are, and why you're on our planet." the Captain said, his voice stern and exactly how Peter remembered from the tapes he had to watch in history class as a kid. 

"Um, well, I think I already told you guys that." he said with a shrug, leaning against one of the chrome railings nearest him. He kept himself angled towards the exit just in case things got heated and the team had to bail. He really didn't want to have to watch Drax rip the arms off of one of his childhood heroes. 

"Sorry if we don't believe one word of it. You just landed on our roof in a fucking spaceship without warning anyone that you were coming." the archer,  _Hawkeye,_ Peter's mind supplied, growled. "So you got a Walkman and you can speak English. Thor speaks English too, and I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to get some outdated Earth tech without being noticed." 

"Do you dare call Quill a liar?" Drax snarled, and Peter held up his hand to calm the Destroyer. 

"Drax, I got this." he muttered before turning back to Hawkeye. "Look, I know you definitely don't wanna believe me, and I don't blame you. The last time aliens made contact with your planet, it was the Chitauri, and they probably tore things up a bit." 

"Actually, it was Svartalfheim, and they destroyed most of London, but that's besides the point." the goatee'd man corrected, making himself a drink at the bar quite easily for someone wearing a giant metal suit. 

"Alright, well that hasn't really...rumors spread a little more slowly when there are lightyears between Terra and the rest of the galaxy, but whatever." Peter sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The thing is, I know you don't trust aliens, but trust me. I'm from this planet." 

"I want to know your story, and don't leave things out." the redheaded woman suddenly spoke up. There was something dangerous about her, like a wolf in sheep's clothing, and had Peter not been glued to the gun in her hand, he probably would have compared her to Gamora. 

"Alright, but could I have a drink if I'm going to get this deep?" 

-x-x-x-x-x-

"...so...she um. Y'know. Didn't beat it. Cancer's nasty, and it ate her from the inside out. I was just...I was mad and scared, and she just  _left_ -" Peter's voice got thick and he slugged back the remaining whiskey in his glass as Gamora squeezed his shoulder. "So I did the only thing I ever did. I ran. I fuckin' booked it outta that hospital man, and when I got outside there was just this bright white light, and it felt like someone grabbed me by the base of my spine and just pulled me up. The next thing I know, I'm in a spaceship with this blue guy looming over me chittering in some language I didn't understand. They knocked me out, and when I woke up I could understand them and they were talking about how they wanted to eat me." 

"How did you just start understanding an alien language?" Clint interjected, skepticism evident. Peter bent over so that his head was almost between his knees and pushed his hair to the side, revealing a small, neat scar at the base of his skull. 

"Universal translator. On planets where intergalactic contact is the norm, kids get them right before they hit puberty so that they can speak their own language. It's a fail safe of sorts; if something goes wrong with your translator, you can understand at least one spoken language." he explained, sitting up and wiping at his cheeks as he did so. 

"Then why can we understand you?" Bruce asked, curiosity evident on his face. 

"Because I speak English even without the translator." Peter deadpanned, getting irritated by their sheer inability to accept his explanation. 

"Yeah, well, the green chick speaks English too, so how do we know that's not just the translator working for you?" Clint argued, jerking his thumb in Gamora's direction. Gamora glared at him and cracked her knuckles, obviously not fond of the archer. Peter let out a sigh and slumped into the couch, hands clapping over his face. Just then, the ground shook and the doors flew open. 

"Friend Stark, the Lady Jane received your message." a booming voice called out. Peter popped up in his seat; there was no mistaking that accent. Asgardians. 

"Thor, boy is it good to see you!" the metal man ( _Stark,_ Peter noted) replied, throwing his hands up in welcome. Rocket's ears twitched a bit as he sat up to examine the newest addition to the group, and Gamora stepped into the shadows. "We've got um. Offworlders here, and we're not sure if they're on our side or not." 

Thor's lightning blue eyes raked over the Guardians quickly, making Peter squirm in his seat. Groot crooned happily at the Asgardian, and Drax nodded while Gamora tried to make herself as innocuous as possible. 

"Are you not the ones that saved Xandar?" Thor questioned, tipping his head to the side curiously. Peter quirked a brow and looked up at the Aesir. 

"Yeah, but...how'd you know about that? I thought the Asgardians kept to themselves." 

"Heimdall sees everything of importance. Your decision to hold an Infinity Stone in your bare hands was a foolish yet admirably brave one. We are indebted to you, Lord of the Stars." Thor smiled, bowing his head to Peter. "As well as your shield brothers; Lady Gamora, Drax, Rocket, Groot. It is truly an honor." 

"See, that's the welcome I was expecting." Rocket smirked, nodding his thanks to Thor. The Avengers remained silent for some time, and then Tony chuckled. 

"Looks like you owe me five bucks Barton, they're good guys after all." 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Once the air settled, Natasha felt like she could breathe again, and she promptly locked her guns up in her room. Clint had stormed off to hide in his own room; she didn't doubt that he felt like a complete ass, although she understood his fear and prejudice. She wouldn't be too fond of aliens either if her first interaction with one had been being put under the control of the Tesseract. There was a part of her that wanted to keep her guns on her, but instead she stripped out of her suit and instead put on a pair of comfortable yoga pants, a snug tee, and slipped a dagger into the hidden pocket of each of her combat boots. She was just as ruthless with a knife as she was with a gun, and although she doubted that she would be a match physically for the tattooed alien that Thor had called Drax, Natasha knew that she had a team that she could rely on now. If she couldn't take him down, she didn't doubt that Thor or the Hulk would do it with ease. 

By the time she changed and returned to the communal area that they had dubbed "the playroom", Tony had taken off the suit and was chatting amicably with the raccoon-like creature referred to as Rocket. The man that had stepped off of the ship first, Peter Quill, was talking animatedly to Steve, while Thor and Bruce were chatting warmly with Drax. However, it was the potted creature that had caught Natasha's attention initially, and so she walked over to the table that the pot had since been placed on. The sun was shining warmly on the creature residing in the pot, who was cooing and blossoming happily as it looked out at the city. 

"Hello." she said, straddling the chair nearest to the pot and looking at the creature curiously. It was rather adorable, and reminded her of a tiny Ent. It turned in surprise at the sound of her voice and fixed two large black eyes on her. Her breath caught in her chest; there was an innocence that she had not seen in decades gleaming in those murky depths, and she was struck with the overwhelming urge to protect it at all costs. 

"Rrrooooo~" it cooed, flailing its arms back and forth happily. A smile tugged at her lips and she perched her chin atop her arms, which were folded at the top of the chair. 

"My name is Natasha." she offered, although she very much doubted that this young creature could speak. 

"M'rooooo." it replied, voice high and sweet as it grew a beautiful red flower and plucked it off its body, offering it to her. This time, the smile broke though her mask and she took the flower, sniffing it carefully. It smelled sweet yet alien, and she tucked it behind her ear before extending her fingers to the small plant being. It wrapped its little hands around her index finger and shook warmly. "Roooooo." it repeated. 

"Is your name Roo?" Natasha asked. 

"His name is Groot, but he has not fully regrown his vocal cords yet." a hard voice said, and Natasha spun around to find herself looking at the mysterious green woman who had shrunk in on herself when Thor had arrived. 

"Regrown?" 

"Groot sacrificed his adult body to protect us on Xandar. He is regrowing, but it is a long process. Rocket thinks that your planet's proximity to its sun may aid in his growth however." the woman explained, sitting silently in the chair next to Natasha's. Her movements were those of a person who knew exactly how their body worked, had trained their body to do their mind's will at a moment's notice, and the silence of her movements betrayed her training. 

"You're an assassin." Natasha said bluntly, and the green woman recoiled slightly. 

"Was an assassin." Gamora replied, her face emotionless but her eyes revealing more than expected. 

"Then I suppose we aren't so different." Natasha offered, and the green woman stared. 

"You were an assassin as well?" 

"Yes, but...I met a man that showed me that there was a better way. He rescued me from what would have been my death, and he's taught me a lot about what it means to be human since then." Natasha's lips curled up, knowing that Clint had heard her; he had crept up alongside the pair just as the green woman questioned Natasha's past. The green woman's eyes immediately drifted towards Quill.

"I suppose we truly are similar. I too was saved from an untimely death by a man who has taught me more about being whole again than I thought he ever could." 

"My name is Natasha." she extended her hand, and the green woman stared at the extended appendage for a moment before smiling and shaking it firmly. 

"Gamora. I'm Gamora." 


End file.
